Election, budget expected to dominate Oceanside in 2004

OCEANSIDE -- Perennial issues such as the budget and downtown
redevelopment face Oceanside in 2004, but the elephant in the room
is the 2004 election.

Two council seats and the mayor's office are up for grabs Nov.
2, and it is already shaping up to be a battle for control of the
city. To add to the political intrigue, it is possible that all
five sitting council members could be running for office at
once.

Council members Esther Sanchez and Jack Feller have said they
will seek re-election to the seats they won in 2000. Two other
candidates -- businessman John Hoffman and entertainer and former
Oceanside policeman C.C. Sanders -- have also announced their
intentions to run for the two council posts.

Incumbent Mayor Terry Johnson could have two familiar faces from
the City Council challenging him in November. Although neither has
made it official, Councilmen Rocky Chavez and Jim Wood have been
widely talked about as potential mayoral candidates.

Many people around town expect one or both to enter the 2004
race. Another likely candidate is local businessman Jim Schroder
who has said he is "pretty well committed to running" for the
mayor's job.

Although Chavez and Sanchez downplayed the effect the election
would have on the business of the city, Feller said he expects
considerable "politicking and grandstanding on the dais."

"Five seated council members running for election at the same
time is not in the best interests of Oceanside," Feller said. "It
think it's almost a mockery of the system."

Wood also said the election would have a huge part in shaping
how next year will play out on council.

"I don't think in the history of Oceanside we have ever had five
people (council members) running at the same time," Wood said. "The
election is going to be important, no doubt about it."

Budget woes likely

Other than the election, the city's budget ills was the No. 1
issue cited by council members and city officials in recent
interviews.

City Manager Steve Jepsen said in late December that the city
could face a shortfall of between $4 million and $6.5 million for
fiscal year 2004-05, which begins July 1. The potential shortfall
comes from Oceanside's $1.5 million to $2 million increase for the
Public Employees Retirement System, and the possible $4.2 million
hole from the reduction in next year's car tax revenue.

Jepsen said the first few weeks of January will determine what
kind of year Oceanside will have in 2004. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger is expected to unveil his preliminary budget for
next fiscal year Jan. 10, and Jepsen said that will give the city
an idea of how good or bad a position its budget is in.

"In the midst of the state taking money away, are we going to
have the money to pay for everything?" Jepsen said was the question
for next year.

Feller said the city will have a tough balancing act when it is
forced to decide what to cut. But Feller said he favored cutting
some social services instead of public safety.